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Cougars drop close one to state finalist

John Michaels
IVN Contributing Writer

The Illinois Valley High School football team hosted last season’s 1A 8-man state semi-finalist Myrtle Point Bobcats and dropped a very close 38-24 decision in league opener for both teams last Friday in Cave Junction. Myrtle Point was reclassified to the 2A level at the beginning of this school year by OSAA.
The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead when the Cougars had a miscue on a punt giving Myrtle Point great field position after being stopped on the opening drive. A touchdown run by the Bobcats’ Evin Warner, followed by a 2-point run with 9:20 left in the first quarter gave Myrtle Point an 8-0 lead.
I.V. (2-3, 0-1) evened the game up when Tanner Brazil caught a pass from quarterback Zack Dugas and carried it in from three yards out. Dugas hit Jeremiah Izzo on the 2-point PAT to tie the score at 8-8 with 2:17 left.
But the Bobcats answered quickly on the first play from scrimmage after the kick-off, taking advantage of a blown coverage for and 80-yard touchdown strike that made the score 16-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Myrtle Point would extend the lead to 24-8 when yet another blown coverage allowed the Bobcats to score from 23 yards out with 9:38 left before the intermission.
The Cougars got two score in a little over two minutes to cut the halftime deficit to 24-18. Brazil scored on a 1-yard run with 4:33 left. Servando Vargas kicked the extra point, then connected on a 42-yard field goal with 2:31 left after the Cougars next possession.
The prospects for an upset appeared when Brazil scored his third touchdown of the night with 4:20 left in the third quarter. His 7-yard run knotted the score, and I.V. had a chance to take the lead with the extra point. Unfortunately for the Cougars, the extra point attempt by Vargas was blocked. It appeared at the time and on video replay that the Bobcat player who blocked the kick had the advantage of jumping offsides on the conversion attempt. However, no flag was thrown, and the game remained tied at 24-24.
Myrtle Point took the lead on a 7-yard pass late in the third period. With the 2-point conversion, the Bobcats led again by eight at 32-24.
The I.V. squads’ chances dimmed when an ankle injury to Dugas caused him to miss a few series on offense. The offense sputtered in his absence and even though he was able to return late in the game, the Cougars could not score again.
Myrtle Point added a late touchdown in the final minutes when the Cougars failed to convert on the fourth down deep in their own territory and gave the Bobcats the ball inside the 10-yard line.
The I.V. hopes to get back on track when the Cougars host Oakland with a 7 p.m. kick-off. It will be no easy task as the Oakers are undefeated (5-0, 1-0) and ranked No. 8 in the state.